Word: ofter
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Thom's theory possesses the simplicity and elegance that is so appealing to a mathematician. His model is based on principles of topology, a field ofter described as "rubber-sheet geometry" because it concerns forms that may be stretched or distorted without changing their fundamental, qualitative properties. Thom contends that for a wide range of mathematical structures; including almost all natural processes, only seven stable "unfoldings" can occur. By varying the number and arrangement of factors controlling these structures, he determined that apart from the seven "elementary" structures, all others are doomed to degenerate into unstable configurations...